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Summary: Excellent book! Green is a genius of explanation.
Review: If you have any interest at all in Quantum Physics or Relativity Theory this is a great source. Covering all of the bases but without the math, Greene makes the subject readable by virtually anyone. If there are true Rennaisance people today, then this book would help them reach a general understanding of this complex subject. I, with a modest education, could now keep up in a party conversation on the subject. Now, if Greene would only put out a book on taxes...
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Summary: Mind opener takes you to the edge of human understanding
Review: As a grade school attendee when the periodic table was the be all and end all of matter, a liberal arts graduate of the 1960's, and current business executive whose last periodic update on physics was light reading about quantum mechanics parallels with eastern philosophy, this is a gem of an update.Aside from the fascinating content, I was wowed by the technical writing and use of analogies. I only hope Brian's mind functions long enough to write the sequel -- while mine functions well enough to read it. For those who don't follow physics, this may be the book that changes the way you view your existence and relationship to the cosmos.
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Summary: it does'nt string you along, or leave you hanging
Review: greene is truley elegant in his delivery of a concept which is difficult for any tom, dick or einstein to fathom. bravo from an avid reader of accounting texts.
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Summary: Not for the feint of heart
Review: A difficult read if you are not already familiar with particle physics and relativity. Many of the metaphors are long and convoluted. There is a lot of information packed onto a small space, Greene does a good job of summing up what's going on in the world of cutting edge physics. In the end I realized that string theory is not something I'm going to have a rich understanding of by reading this book (or any one book for that matter).
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Summary: Best and most current book on strings for non-physicists
Review: If you liked a Brief History of Time then you should enjoy this book. It does a much better job of explaining string theory than Michio Kaku's Hyperspace (you could have thrown away the last half of that book). Even if you have already read Hyperspace, there is a lot more in this book including details of the second superstring revolution. At points, it even reads like an adventure story since Greene actively contributes to string theory and meets with Witten regularly. My only regret is that the final chapters on string theory will not be written till long after the release of Star Wars Episode 9 ... Lance
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book for understanding mysteries of the universe
Review: I recommend this book to anyone who is curious enough to wonder about the origins of matter, energy, and the universe itself. Mr. Greene makes it very easy for the lay readers to grasp the basic understanding of some out of this world concepts, such as extra dimensions and vibrating strings. I am a professional engineer with years of training in math and physics, however, I enjoyed the non-technical way Professor Greene has written this book. After reading this book I had a much better understanding of quantum mechanics, relativity, and the string theory, and enjoyed reading the whole book from beginning to the end. Some of the reviewers have faulted Professor Greene for communicating his ideas without using complicated mathematics. To me, this is one of strengths of this and other similar books that are written for the lay people. Those readers who are mathematical geniuses can find plenty of other resources to suit their taste. Others think that it is inappropriate to write about incomplete theories that cannot be experimentally verified at the present time. This is absurd. This is what the progress of science is all about. I thank Brian Greene for sharing his ideas so clearly with the rest of us. I am going to talk to my young daughter about this book in the hopes of inspiring her to someday join the minds who want to unlock the mysteries of our universe.
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Summary: Explains the Unexplainable
Review: Brian Greene has written one of the most important books of this century; he has given those of us who are neither physicists nor mathematicians an inkling of what quantum physics is all about. It may very well be that the theories he describes with such eloquence and understanding will never be proved ... but that is beside the point. His book clears away a bit of the mist from the glass, so we can see the concepts over which the great thinkers of our day are struggling. Clearer than Hawkings's or Penrose's works, this book is a "must read."
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Summary: Great Book
Review: This is an absolutely wonderful book. It cuts to the heart of some of the most exciting insights into the nature of the universe ever found. And although there are no equations, the concepts are explained so clearly, using down-to-earth language and examples, that you really get a feel for this cutting edge science. To top it off, the writing is so compelling that its a real page turner.
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Summary: Modern Philosophy
Review: Aristotle tried to explain the universe by describing transparent sphere's. Today's philosophers are using strings. These theorists are not to be confused with the true mental giants of Newton, and Einstien. The beauty of these theories is that you can't prove nor disprove any of their ideas, making for a great way of getting grant money to support yourself and looking important all at the same time. You need 11 dimensions in order for string theory to work, but 3/4's of the book uses a 6 dimensional shape to try and explain how string theory might work. If you play with math formulaes long enough, you can come up with any answer you want. Don't bother to read this book,( Although Brian Greene is a good story teller. ) but wait until string theory has been proven. In other words don't bother yourself with string theory, its a waste of time as none of it can be proven.
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Summary: Excellent and intuitive introduction to current physics
Review: Although I haven't quite finished, I would like to add my praise for Brian Greene's effort. I found his writing effective for the informed lay reader in the way that John Gribbin's has been, but with the advantage that he actually works in the field. Perhaps all of the authors of these books struggle too hard to convince the readers of their own insights. This leads them to promise too much and leave readers disappointed in the end. Penrose's suggestions that quantum theory will explain thought come to mind. Greene avoids that trap fairly well. The difficulty always comes when the material jumps from the "basics" to the hard work. The ability to appreciate the issues without understanding the math remains a challenge. I have long thought that there ought to be a program of instruction loosely titled "Math Appreciation" to introduce the concepts of today's higher math to an educated audience. Few of us can "do" the math, but many of us could understand more. Perhaps this should be compared to art instruction and art appreciation. Many of us learn to appreciate and enjoy fine art without being able to execute it. David Morrison is mentioned frequently in the book. I ran across a set of videos of his current lectures at Duke on F Theory. They can be found at http://www.cgtp.duke.edu/lecturenotes/videos.html.
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